Mass storage devices used in computing environments store large amounts of computer readable data for long periods of time and are considered permanent storage devices. Two general categories of mass storage devices include magnetic disc and magnetic tape drives. Variations of each may include removable and non-removable storage capability. Other variations may include but are not limited to hard disks, floppy disks, flash memory, optical discs, magneto-optical discs, magnetic tape, drum memory, punched tape and holographic memory. Typically, magnetic tape drives are the least expensive, in regard to storage capacity, but have high seek time constraints. Thus, disc systems generally have better performance characteristics. Some current tape drive storage customers may not be able to utilize the I/O performance of the latest tape drive device, or they may not want to pay for an expensive high performance tape drive or an expensive high performance disc drive at the time of purchasing an entry level computing and storage system. The entry level computer system customer may want to gradually increase the performance of the storage (i.e., tape drive or disc drive) system as their storage demand increases; thereby paying based on demand.
Therefore, a need exists for a customer to purchase and/or lease a tape drive library capable of containing a bank of tape drives, or a bank of any other storage devices, at a low entry level price point along with entry level performance capabilities that can be changed, i.e., increased, based on increased performance needs along with the ability and/or desire to pay an increased license fee for such increased performance, where payment can be made in any number of lump sums or payment may be made periodically, via a renewable service contract and payment may be made in cash or electronically. In addition, the need exists for a customer to purchase and/or lease a tape drive library, or a library of any other storage devices at a high entry level price along with high level performance capabilities that can be changed, i.e., decreased, based on decreased performance need along with the inability to pay for high performance and/or the desire to pay a decreased license fee for decreased performance, i.e., the ability to pay or receive credit on demand for either increased and/or decreased I/O performance respectively associated with the storage devices in the storage library.